ROCHESTER — Area kids with disabilities moved closer to having a Buddy Ball field of their own recently. Lonza, of Portsmouth, donated $38,384.84 to Howie’s Field of Dreams to aid in the completion of a Buddy Ball field in Rochester’s Roger Allen Park.

“That’s more than we ever could have imagined,” said Rochester Rotary President Gerry Gilbert after being told the amount of the donation on the Buddy Ball field. “Thanks to (Lonza), we’re almost there.”

Gilbert noted that about $50,000 still needed to be raised to complete the park and that the first game was slated to take place on June 1, 2013. The total cost of the project was originally slated at $335,000.

Howie’s Field of Dreams Steering Committee member John Creteau added, “We work so hard for fives and twos and tens.”

Lonza, a leading supplier to life-science industries, raised the money through the Lonza Harvest Open, an annual golf tournament held in September, usually drawing over 200 golfers. According to Senior Engineering Manager Randall Spayd, the tournament raised over $67,000 to be split between Howie’s Field and Seacoast Family Promises, a Stratham organization focusing on homelessness.

Each year, the Lonza, of Portsmouth, donates the profits from the Harvest Open to two local nonprofit groups. They also hold multiple fundraising events throughout the year for various organizations. Lonza is headquartered in Switzerland and has operations throughout the world.

Howie’s Field of Dreams was started in memory of Howie Seckendorf, who died of a heart attack while serving as the 50th president of the Rochester Rotary Club in 2009. He was 51 years old and the Buddy Ball field was one of his dreams.

Howie’s widow Kim Seckendorf is an active participant in the Field of Dreams fundraising efforts. She was present at the Lonza check presentation.

The Babe Ruth Bambino Buddy-Ball Division was established for players ages 5-20 who are either physically and/or mentally challenged. The baseball fields are made of a rubberized surface, where a player can fall down and not be injured. Buddy Ball also allows an able-bodied “buddy” to assist a player with physical or other handicaps while playing.

According to a Lonza release, there are no other fields in New Hampshire that are specifically designed to accommodate disabled children. It is anticipated that Howie’s Field of Dreams will draw its Buddy Ball League from a wide geographic area, potentially encompassing three states.

Gilbert noted that paving the parking lot was an important next step for Howie’s Field, given the numbers of people with disabilities expected to frequent it.

“Being a lifelong and avid fan of the game (baseball), Howie thought this would be the perfect project for the Rotary Club of Rochester to initiate during his presidency,” the Field of Dreams website notes.